Devices such as personal computers (PCs) and televisions (TVs) have increasing functionality which require increasingly complex user interface devices to enable user access. This often requires complex menu options from which a user can select. These means are usually arranged hierarchically with an increasing number of levels and complexity. This makes access difficult, cumbersome and slow to the user. In particular, in trying to locate require menu items at ever increasing lower levels within the hierarchy of menu items.
For example, as shown in FIG. 1, menu items 101_1, 101_2, 101_3, 101_4 are arranged in a first level 101. Menu item 101_1 has two menu items 103_1, 103_2 in a second, lower level 103 and menu item 101_2 has three menu items 105_1, 105_2, 105_3 in the second level 103. Menu item 103_1 has three menu items 107_1, 107_2, 107_3 in a third, lower level 107 and menu item 105_3 has three menu items 109_1, 109_2, 109_3 in the third level 107. If the user interface is currently displaying menu items 107_1, 107_2, 107_3 and the user next wishes to select menu item 109_2, the user must go back up the level to the first level 101, select menu item 101_2 and then proceed back down the levels to the third level 107 and display menu items 109_1, 109_2, 109_3. If the depth of the hierarchical levels is large, this operation becomes very time consuming and difficult for the user to access a particular function of the device.
Many solutions have been proposed for overcoming this. One solution is to provide a quick link system in which menu items which are most frequently used are displayed in first instance such as that disclosed by JP08-186774, for example, or short-cuts which can be programmed by the user as disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 6,618,039, for example. However, these solutions when used in very complex hierarchies do not enable quick access to items at lower levels unless they are frequently used and hence appear in the “quick link” menu list or have been programmed as a short cut by the user.